Review: Ava By Lydia Baker

Blurb:

First, they came for the city and we allowed it, they put up the Barrier and we stayed quiet, silenced by the fear of what was beyond. Our elderly were next and still we didn’t cry out; then they came for the women, removed their fertility and stole our future, so I hid. I became Alec and I turned my back on my true self, Ava.

Ava can’t live as Alec any longer, the lie is killing her, destroying all that she is.
The world beyond MTech’s Barrier calls to her and she can’t ignore it. She has to know what, if anything, survived the terrible day that tore her family apart fourteen years ago.

But what if the Outside is far more dangerous than anything Ava has ever faced on the Inside?
Ava is set in a dystopian future, where individual rights are being eroded and the population live under a dome barrier that they have been told is for their protection. But, what is outside? Is escape possible and even if it is, will it be a death sentence?

Review:

Set against the backdrop of a bleak dystopic future, Lydia masterfully explores the inner turmoil and complexities of the human psyche in Ava. 

We start off in a dark, desolate world. Our eponymous protagonist, Ava is a young woman grappling with her identity and place in a society. The city is governed by a totalitarian regime that has imposed increasingly stricter restrictions following a mysterious catastrophe since when the people have been trapped in a dome, supposedly for their protection. What lies beyond the dome is an unknown, but we do get to that halfway into the book, and here is a hint - it is not all sunshine and rainbows.

Within the dome, the MTech monitors all aspects of the lives of the citizens. Ava has been living her life pretending to be a man to escape having her fertility surgically removed. The initial part of the story goes deep into the ramifications of that decision on her social life. While her brother has been a pillar of stability in her life, their relationship is increasingly growing complex, and often she finds herself doubting his intentions. She finds her life as Alec, the fake name she takes up, to be suffocating and distressful. Her only hope is a covert group she is part of, which is trying to break out of the captivity of the dome and find out for themselves what is actually out there.

The oppressed society and desolate cityscape are elegantly described, as are Ava’s emotions. It is impossible not to fall in love with her. While the book does have many futuristic elements, the core focus of the story is unquestionably on Ava’s struggle and evolution, and they are covered in immense depth. We see her push through a long chain of traumatic experiences, and her adaptability and fortitude is fascinating and inspiring.

The other characters sometimes felt starved of “screen-time” though, and on multiple occasions I found myself wondering about all that had happened behind the scenes which aren’t covered in the story.

The presentation was quite approachable, and the plot was straightforward and easy to follow. The clear focus on a single individual definitely helped with that. The narration moved in a clear direction at all times.

Avid sci-fi readers may not find many novel elements on the technology side, and the ones that are present are not explored in depth. Technology serves as a backdrop and an enabler for various pivot points of the story, but technological nuances are seldom the focal points.

In the second half onwards, the book increasingly incorporates elements of horror. But I felt the potential for horror to also be a bit under-explored. Yes, there are parts that are gruesome and revelations that are horrifying, but I doubt voracious readers of dark fiction would find the experience deeply chilling.

The storyline and events reminded me of Stephen King’s Under the dome, as well as Kass Morgan’s The 100.

But all in all, I found this story to be an incredibly enjoyable and thought-provoking read that craftily balances many themes. The pacing kept me hooked throughout, and I would absolutely look forward to more works by the author.